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For 24 years I worked in the Navy Annex across the street
from the Pentagon. The last time I was in the Pentagon was
for a Frocking ceremony for one of my favorite Naval
Aviators who had just made admiral. Jay Johnson, the Chief
of Naval Operations at the time, invited me and another
civilian from the Annex. We were always treated as members
of the US Naval Aviation family. On September 11, 2001,
I was working for the Office of Justice Programs where we
gathered in the conference room to watch as the planes flew
into the Twin Towers. While I was away from my desk,
my daughter called from Vermont to tell me that she just
heard about a plane crashing into the Pentagon. Her phone
message was filled with tears, sorrow, and fear. I went to
the prayer service at the Pentagon that Friday only to be
turned away for security reasons. That's when I found my
way to the top of a hill overlooking the damage done to our
country's military fortress. The picture I was able to take
is to honor all the people, civilians and military, I've
known and loved all these years.

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2002-09-04